Category: Advice

Businesses are being warned to be on their guard following a string of cold calls from suppliers offering ‘off the shelf’ localised internet marketing campaigns which could leave struggling SMEs out of pocket by hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

Given our natural cynicism, it was easy for us Brits to get the sandbags out and put the defences up as we went into recession, but it has proved far more difficult to come out of it.

Innocent, the distinctively non-corporate drinks company, has achieved international success by adopting a very different approach to business. Martin Addison of Video Arts gives ten tips that other organisations can learn from Innocent’s fresh example.

PRS for Music have announced that workplaces who are introducing TVs and radios to let staff watch the World Cup will qualify for a free PRS for Music licence – required for any copyright music played as part of TV or radio broadcast – through a trial scheme.

With BT looking ever more likely to have its first strike in over quarter of a century if the latest offer isn’t accepted, thousands of businesses could be left without phones or internet during the strike which could take place in August 2010.

Where did you last have a great business conversation? Louise Third has just returned from a working visit to Uganda where she found herself teahcing enterprise skills to students in a remote rural region of the north east. The experience confirmed for her that we really are one big enterprising global community, so tell us about your business conversations in far-flung places.

Organisations seeking to drive profitability through growth rather than downsizing and restructuring are fuelling an upturn in job openings in the accounting and finance sector, according to the 2010 market report and salary survey from a leading financial recruitment company.

With the freemium revenue model, the most basic service level of a product is free for all, while more sophisticated service levels require users to pay tiered subscription fees based on usage levels.

Following a highly successful inaugural awards last year, Remote Employment in association with BT Business has launched The Remote Worker Awards and this year Business Matters is pleased to be joining as the media partner for the 2010 programme.

Employee relations in key performance areas are often neglected in a busy workforce, leaving staff confused and unhappy. We spoke to Haleem Ossman, who has twice won the national Investors in People Award, about the advice that he would give to businesses on how to manage this challenge.

The due diligence process consists of three main parts: screening due diligence, business due diligence, and legal due diligence. Each firm may have a specific process, but typically it involves reviewing the management team, the market potential, the product or service (and the need it meets), and the business model.

For a salesperson, cold calling can present one of the greatest challenges in their day. Get the most out of your cold calls by following these nine steps. And remember that staying positive, being persistent, and listening and adjusting to customer responses are the personal ingredients to help you succeed.

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has today launched an online advice surgery staffed by five ‘Business Doctors’ to help cure the most common day to day problems that companies face.